“Change is everywhere!
Change can be outside you!
Change can be inside you!
Change is always happening!
…
Remember, Change is everywhere!”
So read the note about Change in my 3rd grader’s notebook at his school. We had gone into the class room for the usual curriculum evening to learn about what the kids learn in their 3rd grade class. Of course these 3rd graders have lessons in math, language arts, social studies, etc. In addition, they pick a word and creatively write more about it. Change was the chosen word for Sep 21st. How fitting. Sep 21st is the transition from summer to fall season in the northern hemisphere, especially here at about 47 degrees North latitude.
I agree with his sentiments a lot. Change is everywhere and is happening all the time. Witness the beautiful flowers in your yard last month. Now they will start to fall off along with the leaves preparing the trees and plants for a long sleep during the winter. Come spring season, the same plants come back with vigor with fresh new leaves followed by flowers. As humans, we also go through change continuously without stop.
When facing Change, it is useful to approach with a positive mindset.
CHANGE is: Champion with Hope and Aspirations to Nurture Growth with Engagement
Change can be unexpected, bringing new problems. Change can be intimidating. Change can be challenging. Change can be negative urging us to fight or take flight. Change can be positive bringing the best from us out. Change can reawaken us to our aspirations. Change can inspire hope. Change can be invigorating. Hence sometimes I think Change can also bring forth a go forward urgency. Change can engage us to go forward and face the future, however uncertain it is. For Change can open new doors and bring in new connections.
Coming back to facing change … a few things help us a lot to go forward:
- Step up and champion for oneself to face the change. Take the trust and support from the nears and dears to put us into motion.
- It is not lost unless hope is lost. As Elie Wiesel puts it in The Night bring out the hope of positive and valuable road ahead for oneself.
- Each of us have aspirations of who we want to be and what we want to do. Recall the aspirations and if required tune the same. Let us ask our family and friends to remind us of the aspirations we may have had.
- Use the power of hope and aspirations to nurture. For nurture allows us to endure the potential hardships if any.
- Everyone desires growth. Growth may be visible growth; most times it might be just invisible growth much like what happens inside the pupa before a beautiful butterfly emerges. There is often no shortcut to put in the patient and persistent work required. Angela Duckworth emphasizes the need for grit to have interest and practice for us to grow.
- Nothing is achieved without enthusiastic engagement. Let the weather and environment not beat us down. Instead let us engage with energy to turn the tides in our favor.
A few weeks back I came across this tale of two seeds which illustrates vividly the power of growth mindset. During change, we need more of the growth mindset.
Remember, Change is everywhere. Change happens to all of us. Change is indeed an opportunity for discovering ourselves again to grow. Let us face the changes with courage and endure!
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